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So I’ve been following the local football league in my country (the UFL), hence the reason why I didn’t blog for quite a while. (Well, football is just one of the reasons.)

And this year’s champion is my favorite team – Stallion FC! Woohoo!!!

Blurred pic I took of Stallion FC footballers celebrating after the Global’s lost to Kaya.

Actually I am supporting another too – Global FC, which was last year’s champion and a tight rival of Stallion. Global used to be my first favorite club, primarily because most of those playing for the national team are there, including my favorite Denis Wolf . However, during the first season of 2013, things quite changed. I got to see how Stallions play, met and interacted with their players and I became a fan. Eventually, I fell in love with the team because aside from being great in the pitch, they were also nice lads who won’t treat you as fans but as friends. Not to say that Global FC aren’t nice to fans but I don’t know, there seems to be some kind of barrier, something that makes you feel that hey, you’re just one of the fans. Probably because most of their players are famous because as I said, they are playing for the Philippine Azkals. Plus, I don’t like their coach Brian Reid, he is just conceited! I don’t know, but it is not just me who felt that way. I know a few. Oh well, I still support them though. But I have shifted, Stallion is now my first favorite team in the UFL, even before they were announced as 2013 UFL champions.

Stallion FC vs Airforce during the 2nd season of 2013 UFL

In fact, when they faced Global back in May, although I was torn in between at first, I have realized that I can’t be neutral and I have to pick just one team and I chose Stallions. They lost to Global that night with 2-1 score. It was a sad night for me, while most of those in the Stadium were rejoicing including my cousins who sided with Global. But I pledged to stay with them, win or lose. And that is called commitment.

This Sunday, June 30, they will finally be crowned as the 2013 UFL Champions. A back to back win for them, for being the 2012 UFL Cup Champions too! Woohoo! So they both have the league and the cup titles!

Tomorrow, I am heading to Rizal Memorial Stadium again to watch the Azkals – the Philippine National Football Team in the first leg and our first home game in the AFF Suzuki Cup semi-finals. We are facing the Singapore Lions, who lost to us twice during friendly matches this year. The Azkals are on the semis for the 2nd time, one back in 2010 – the time they shocked the whole country that a national football team exist and that they beat the current tourney champion -Vietnam and went to the semis!

I can still remember it because I was one of those surprised to know that we actually have a football team and that they are competing! I was on vacation for about 5 months after quitting my demanding job, and was still infected by the FIFA World Cup fever that time, and so into football matches. Of course being a fan of the beautiful game, I immediately became a fan of the Azkals!

And now, we are on the semis again! If in 2010 we were denied of a home again because the tourney officials thought our stadium wasn’t good enough to stage an international game. Now,
we are granted of our well-deserved home game in front of the enthusiastic home crowd! Gosh I am so excited for tomorrow! Kudos to PFF for doing something to improve our stadium.

So I will be cheering proud and loud for the Azkals tomorrow! Like I always say, you have this different sense of pride when you have your own team representing the country.

See you my boys tomorrow! #Laban Pilipinas! #Azkals!

Like this:

In less than an hour, the newest and the controversial law in the Philippines will take effect – the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. The new law, obviously aims to reprimand the “misuse” of the internet by the people in the country. So far I haven’t read every details about this new law yet. Although, it was published in a government website, I haven’t read every chapters and sections of it. Most of what I’ve read were only articles posted by journalists, fellow bloggers and some politicians who are apparently opposed to the new bill.

From what I’ve gathered so far, libel has been inserted in the bill, which was the very reason many people are not approved of it. With the insertion of libel, apparently, anyone who will post, tweet, comment something that criticizes someone, say a politician, can be charged. Maybe even “liking” a comment or reposting or retweeting them can get your ass in jail.

The law is also too vague on who is liable and what is libelous. A website or blog can be taken down if one finds it offensive and charge you under the newly-enacted law. Like one Senator said, maybe even Mark Zuckerberg can be found liable for being the owner of Facebook. (Click here). One article even cited that old blogs, social media posts, or articles can be also used to charged you with cyber libel even before the law is implemented. (Click here).

For me, while it is good that we finally have a law that can make the “abusive” internet users accountable (i.e. those who engage stealing identity, uploading explicit content, online fraud, etc.), silencing the citizens when they inserted “libel” is oppressive and against the freedom of speech.

Heck, what happened to our democracy now?

Haven’t we learned from Martial Law?

As a journalism graduate and an advocate of freedom of expression, I am making my stand against this new law particularly the incorporation of libel, that is not only is oppressive and dangerous, but also makes what our national heroes did for the freedom of this country, useless!

Posting this actually on the eve of enactment of the law is dangerous as it can be used against me, but I will make my stand.

As much as I want to write about the controversial issue on racism and what makes one a real Filipino, to have a deeper look on the issue and as continuation of my last post, I will have to skip that now because I want to focus on the positive:

We bagged the 3rd place in the AFC Challenge Cup in Nepal today! Hooray!!!

Coming from the heartbreaking defeat last Friday against the Turkmenistan, who as of this writing is playing Korea DPR in the Finals, we, the fans and the team were so disappointed not to have reached the final round, but as the Philippines first choice goalie Neil Etheridge said, “we will move on.”

And we have moved on from that defeat because we won the 3rd place in this tourney over Palestine! 🙂 It is actually a historic win for the Philippine Football since this is the first time ever we won in this cup, let alone first time qualify to play for this tourney. We were actually the only team in this competition to have gone through the pre-qualifier games and reached the semis. How’s that for an achievement? And now, a 3rd place for the underdogs? I am just so proud of our boys!

It was a pretty exciting game. My heart was pounding so fast, especially during the last 10 minutes where we were only leading by 1 goal with 4-3. I wanted the game to end soon so I could breathe! 🙂

Thanks for Phil Younghusband’s two goals and so the Guirado brothers – Angel and Juan and of course all the Azkals for their hard work and dedication to win for the country.

The Palestines gave us a wonderful game also. They had the possession most of the time and did a good defending as well. And their fans, in fairness, (at least those I have interacted via internet) are really nice as well.

And to Nepal, who welcomed our team and cheered with us in almost every game we have, Thank you so much too!

I’m so happy.

Like I said before, during the world cup games, I would cheer for Brazil, Spain, S. Korea and other countries, but it’s different when you have your own team playing for the flag. It gives you a different sense of pride and happiness. 🙂 Go Philippine Azkals!

Okay, just a few hours ago, the do or diematch between the Philippines and Tajikistan ended. And obviously, my national team won! Wooohoooo!!!! Yes! On to the semi finals! 🙂 Awesome. I am just very happy. I wasn’t able to watch the match because I was at work but thank God for Twitter, I got to know the updates from the on going game while I was on my way home. I almost screamed inside the van after Dyan Castellejo’s tweet on our 2nd goal.

Our striker Phil Younghusband equalized the first goal that the Tajik’s made on the 50th minute, then Angel Guirado‘s header during the last 10 minutes made us a semi-finalist, placing us in 2nd under Group B after North Korea. We now advance to the semi final round to face Turkmenistan on Friday, while N.Korea will play Palestine. I am expecting the current AFC Challenge Cup champion N.Korea will be in the finals, but I am also hoping and praying that it’s going to be us who will face them. 🙂

Well, it was game well-played by our team. We started as the underdog of this cup, grouped together with the AFC Challenge Cup champions- N. Korea being the current champ, India – 2008 champ, and Tajikistan – 2006 champ. And the Philippines? This is the first time we qualified in this cup and now, we’re on the semis! Wooohooo!!!

I know, the match on Friday is going to be a tougher one. Turkmenistan looks like a one organized team as well. We have to prepare. I remember, Philippine Azkals manager Dan Palami said in one of his interviews before the tournament that the team’s realistic goal for this cup is to make it to the semi final round, and here we are.

We definitely need to prepare for the match on Friday. It’s not going to be a walk in the park, especially that two of our key players – James Younghusband and Angel Guirado will miss the Friday’s game for the 2nd yellows they got today.

This is an article taken from FIFA.com site, celebrating the first Filipino (and first Asian I believe) to play football for a European club.

Paulino Alcantara - Barcelona legend and the first Filipino (and first Asian I believe) to play for a European club.

With Lionel Messi now just 13 goals away from equalling Cesar Rodriguez’s final tally of 235, it has been widely written that Barcelona’s scoring record is about to fall. Not so. The magnificent Cesar might lead the way in competitive strikes, but a look at the Barça record books reveals a different name, that of Paulino Alcantara, atop its all-time scoring chart.

An amazing haul of 357 goals from as many appearances established this Filipino phenomenon among the club’s earliest icons, and the first of those goals came 100 years ago today – on a truly remarkable debut. Indeed, Alcantara features in Barça’s annals not only as its record goalscorer, but also as its youngest-ever debutant, as he took to the field against Catala SC aged just 15 years, four months and 18 days. And he didn’t just play either; he scored – three times! A legend had been born.

Born in the Philippines to a Spanish military officer father and a Filipino mother, this teenage sensation proved a pioneering figure in more respects than one. No Asian player had ever represented a European club before he moved to Spain, and few since have come close to matching his extraordinary achievements.

Alcantara was still just 19 when, having helped his Catalan employers win the Copa del Rey and two Campionat de Catalunyas, he returned for a two-year stint in his homeland, adding a couple of Filipino championship medals to his collection. Barça, however, emerged empty-handed from each of the seasons in which he was missing, and it was only when Alcantara was lured back that the club’s first truly golden era began.

By the time he retired in 1927 to become a doctor, the 31-year-old had won 17 major titles, and had represented Spain, Catalonia and the Philippines at international level. Indeed, it was while on duty with La Roja that Alcantara earned his nickname, ‘El Romperedes’ (The Netbreaker), thanks to a 30-yard thunderbolt against France that smashed through the netting.

This supreme striker was also one of the first players to write memoirs about his football career, and a statue of him stands to this day outside the headquarters of the Philippine Football Federation. A century may have passed since his glorious debut, but Alcantara – one of the beautiful game’s early greats – remains well worth remembering.

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